


Collected Pokémon Yuri Short Stories

by Eterya



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Deconstruction, During Canon, Established Relationship, Experimental Style, F/F, First Meetings, Fluff, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Post-Canon, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-12
Updated: 2017-03-30
Packaged: 2018-09-08 05:54:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8832961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eterya/pseuds/Eterya
Summary: Not the most imaginative title, but at least you know exactly what you're getting into. Pokémon short stories centered on yuri/femslash romance, friendship or what-have-you. No smut (probably). Unless noted otherwise, consider game canon. More tags/pairings to be added as they appear (also at the top of each chapter). Currently taking story suggestions/prompts/requests.Most recent: Mallow/Olivia.





	1. Dancing in the Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moon/Lillie [Fluff, Established Relationship, Post-Canon, minor Age-up]
> 
> Set some time after Lillie's return from Kanto after two years; both are aged around 16. Note that I'll be going with Selene instead of Moon as the name for the female MC, I just much prefer that one.

The sound of thunder, shortly followed by a rather strong rain pattering on the roof makes me look up from my book. I quickly check to make sure the roof isn't leaking anywhere, but it looks like it's holding. Good. At least until the Professor gets carried away with his research once again, but for now I'm staying nice and not-rained-on.

I don't really like rain, I can't stand the wet and cold. At least from inside a dry and warm place it's kind of cozy. As I tuck myself in my blanket to resume my book I muse how much Selene would probably disagree; she's got a hard time sitting still for any length of time, and she most certainly won't be told if she can or can't go out just by some weather.

...Oh dear. Selene and I were going to meet here this afternoon. I really hope she doesn't go outside during this rain. ...Yeah, I probably should call her and tell her to-  _Knock knock_ .

Really? This girl and her impeccable sense of timing. I swiftly hop down from my loft and open the door, and as expected Selene is standing there with a sheepish grin, her hair and clothes completely soaked. “Sorry, I got a little wet. I was just about to get going when it started raining, but I wasn't going to let some weather tell me what to do.” ...Figures.

As usual she tries to greet me with a hug, but frowns when I stop her with my hand. “No you don't, or I'll be drenched too. Stay right here, I'll get you a towel. And some spare clothes.”

“Hang on, I just remembered something. You have more than just one single set of spare clothes, right?”

“Of course. Who do you take me for?”

“Good. Then come with me.”

“Wha- Hey!” Before I can stop her, Selene draws me closer and gives me a wet, squishy hug, then takes my hand to pull me after her – right out into the pouring rain.

I'm not even wearing shoes or socks, but I barely manage to stumble after her and not fall flat on my face as Selene runs over the beach in the general direction of Ten Carat hill, until we're on a small stretch of flat grass between the sand and the tall grass, where she turns around and grins at me.

“What's the big idea?” I pout, placing my hands on my hips, but all that achieves is make Selene embrace me again and lightly brush her lips against mine. The rainwater collected on them tastes a little sweet.

“You're adorable when you do that, you know?” She says, apparently heedless of the fact that we're standing outside in the middle of a rainstorm; I'm already soaked to the bone, my clothes are sticking to my skin, and my hair is gonna take hours to fix.

“Remember, back then, the first time we traveled together, on Exeggutor Island?” We got caught in a rainstorm too, but that time Selene had the sense to stay in the cave and keep – mostly – dry. What's she getting at? “You told me about that one time you ran out to dance in the rain after seeing it in a movie.”

“Yes.” In retrospect, I think this was around the time I started truly opening up to Selene, or I never would have told her about that. ...About me and mother.

“So I thought that sounded like a great idea that I had to try some time too. And then this perfect opportunity presented itself. So here we are.”

“You do remember the part about me and mother catching a cold, right?”

“You worry too much.”

“I'm speaking from experience.”

Instead of an answer Selene places a swift kiss on my lips as she wraps her arms around me. “Relax. We'll be fine.” She lets go and stands with her arms outstretched to her sides and looking towards the sky, as if she wants to embrace the rain itself. “And besides, now you're already wet, so it doesn't really matter, does it?”

...Even though I only got wet after she dragged me out here. I giggle at Selene's own unique brand of logic, then follow her example. The longer I'm out here, the less cold the rain seems, and the droplets feel nice on my skin.

“Come!” A few moments later Selene takes my hand again, our fingers intertwined, as she takes off again, towards the field of tall grass, which is bound to be even wetter if that's possible, her beautiful clear laughter sounding over the rain, and I can't help but join in.

We laugh and run and dance in the rain. Through the grass, over the beach. We jump and twirl and splash in puddles. Each on her own, then together again, spinning as one before Selene all but carries me in her arms as we both dip dangerously close to the ground. Kisses me and then she's running again. I trip and fall straight into the tall grass and Selene decides the best course of action is to jump right after me. We get up and keep dancing.

To any onlooker – if any were stupid enough to brave this rain – we probably look like a pair of madwomen, or at least incredibly immature and childish, but right now we couldn't care less, the only thing that counts is the two of us, in this fleeting moment.

However, like everything, that moment has to end eventually and we slowly wind down, exhausted and shivering as the cold finally catches up to us, yet completely content and happy.

We return to the lab, but before Selene can enter I grab her shoulder. “Stop, you'll get water everywhere.” ...But what to do? However it appears like Selene has the answer, as she wipes her bare feet on the doormat, wrings the water out of her hair best she can, hops up and down to get rid of the loose drops of water – and then just takes off her drenched t-shirt and shorts, dropping them into a wet heap on the floor.

“Wh-what are you...” Completely ignoring my embarrassed reaction, Selene traipses through the lab in only her underwear – a dark blue bra and panties – leaving a trail of wet footprints as she purposefully opens a drawer to pull out the two largest, fluffiest towels she can find, then waves to me. “Hey, you coming?”

“B-but that's...”

“Well, how else are you gonna get dry, duh? And besides” Selene adds with a wink “It's not like that's anything I haven't seen before either.” All that comment serves to do is make me blush even more, but it's not untrue either. With a defeated sigh I wring out my hair and brush as much water as I can off my arms and face, then step inside to at least close the door behind me before stripping down to my underwear as well.

This is embarrassing; I'm wearing white underwear and it's all clinging to my skin and almost translucent- “Here you go.” Selene drapes the towel over my shoulders – without so much as a dirty remark, for a change –, and once I take it and properly cover myself, she hands me a smaller one to wrap up my hair for the moment.

“Thanks.”

Selene returns my smile with her usual grin. “Now what? We need a fresh change of, well, everything.”

“Right. I think there's some underwear in the drier right now.” Halfway drying myself off, but keeping the towel around me, I lead Selene downstairs. Poliwhirl briefly looks up and makes an amused noise as if to say 'Humans.', then returns to its training weights as I open the drier and produce two sets of white bras and panties. “U-um... Here.”

This is still all kinds of embarrassing, but letting Selene go entirely without would feel even... less right. Though I suppose it's not as bad as it could be, at least plain white is nothing too too embarrassing, and we're relatively close in height and size, so it should fit well enough. And as usual Selene sees absolutely nothing wrong at all.

“Great! Thanks a bunch. So, is one of us gonna go upstairs to change, or...” It looks like my furious blush is answer enough as she just grins. “Right. I'll just do that, then.” And with that, she disappears upstairs.

It's moments like these I kind of hate the Professor's 'open space' living concept. Normally it's nice and spacious, but you also don't really have any privacy anywhere. Turning my back to the center of the room, for all the good it does, I strip down completely, thoroughly dry myself off and put on the fresh underwear, then turn the towel inside-out and wrap it around my midsection again to somewhat cover myself up.

Returning upstairs I find Selene has foregone the towel entirely, adding it to the pile of wet clothes next to the door. We should probably take care of those. But first we should get dressed properly. “Come on.” I climb up the ladder to my loft and Selene follows me. “Alright, now let's find you some proper clothes, lest you catch a cold.”

“Oh, I'll be fine. ...Hey, come here.”

“Hm? Hey!” As I turn around, with one swift motion Selene pulls away the towel I was covering myself with, drops it to the ground and drags me into a tight hug. Suddenly I become _very_ aware of the warmth of her body so close to me and the touch of her skin against mine – as well as the heat rising in my cheeks as I try, and fail, to formulate a proper response.

“If anyone, you're the one who's cold.” Selene's hot breath right against my cheek sends a shiver down my spine, but at least I manage to find my voice again.

“W-well, only because _you_ dragged me out into the rain.”

“Don't worry. I know just the thing to warm you up.” Without waiting for an answer, because when did she ever, Selene grabs my arms and pulls me to my sofa-slash-bed, and I end up sitting right next to her, as she drapes the blanket over the both of us, then wraps an arm around me, resting her head my against my neck. “See? Nice and warm.”

“Y-yeah.” It really is. For a timeless while we sit in silence, cuddled up against each other under the blanket, just enjoying the moment and each other's warmth and closeness as outside the rain keeps drumming on the roof, even accompanied by the occasional crack of thunder.

The melody of the rain, and the feeling of my girlfriend next to me, and the warmth – both outside from Selene so close to me, moments like these one of the few times she's ever truly calm, and inside, this completely happy, almost blissful feeling – is enough to make me feel a little sleepy. “Hey, Selene?”

“Hm?”

“Can you kiss me? I want to be sure this isn't a dream.”

“Of course.”

...Maybe I do kind of like rain after all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Herein we have Lillie being flustered, Selene being just a little dirty-minded, and me being unable to think of a third thing. This story was obviously inspired by that scene in the game proper (as well as me having to run an errand in the rain a few days back).
> 
> Any sort of feedback or constructive criticism (on this or any future chapters) is always greatly appreciated; it's the only way for me to keep improving my writing (and a big part of what keeps me motivated). Also experience has shown I tend to do better at pure writing than coming up with plot ideas; that means if there's some pairing/story you'd like to see, feel free to leave some suggestion/request/prompt, I always love to get some input.
> 
> That being said, thank you for reading, and (hopefully) see you next time. Peace out


	2. I'm With You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bianca/Rosa [Hurt/Comfort, First Meetings]
> 
> Set either shortly before BW2, or with Nate as the protagonist (in which case in-game Rosa does show up as an NPC in the Battle Subway).

As Bianca left the building, the rain was pouring down like a wall, making her immediately glad she had insisted on bringing that umbrella along just in case. The sky had looked way foreboding the whole day already, figured it couldn't even wait until she got back to the hotel she and Professor Juniper were staying at.

Why couldn't they have held their whatever-sciency conference in some meeting room at the hotel anyways? Half of the scientist and researchers gathered from all over Unova and beyond were staying there already. But no, apparently it had to be that one doctor's apartment; true, what Bianca had seen of his research lab in passing had been pretty well-equipped, but the real reason had most definitely been the nicely furnished living room with the massive flatscreen and the stocked fridge.

And so after officially calling the meeting for the day, the scientists had sent their aides – 'minions' some liked to call themselves, Bianca much preferred 'assistant' – home while almost all of them stayed to 'catch up', which at least according to what Fennel had told Bianca was code for 'party our asses off'.

Leaving Bianca to return alone in the rain. Oh well. It still beat the Professor burying herself in her research for days on end. Maybe. With a small sigh Bianca opened her umbrella and braced herself, stepping out into the downpour. Thankfully there wasn't much wind to add to the awful weather, but even so her shoes and pants would probably be soaked by the time she got home; here was hoping she didn't get sick from that.

However the city in the rain also had something oddly beautiful about it. The lights of the city center and its attractions, glimpses of which Bianca could see inbetween the buildings ahead of her, were dispersed and reflected by the cloud cover and the very raindrops, scattering everywhere creating a surprising level of warm yellow ambient light, and the wavering, shimmering reflections of the street lanterns in the puddles were almost captivating. Even now the 'Shining City' managed to be as radiant as ever, if not more. Maybe the rain wasn't so terrible after all.

Lost in thought and distracted by the lights reflected in the canal she was just crossing, Bianca almost would have missed the solitary figure leaning standing on the bridge, right in the middle between the light circles of the street lanterns, but her faint sobs barely audible over the rain caught her attention.

Bianca paused and turned to see a girl roughly about her height with brown hair styled in a pair of buns with pigtails hanging off them, wearing black tights under a short yellow skirt and a blue and white shirt, leaning against the railing of the bridge with her face buried in her arms – and no umbrella, leaving her completely drenched by the rain.

As Bianca slowly approached the girl, she noticed the numerous small padlocks and chains attached to the railing and recognized the bridge as the 'lover's bridge', where traditionally couples would show their love by attaching yet another lock with their names on it. As well as a popular place to meet for dates. _Oh dear_.

"Excuse me, are you okay?" Kind of a weak opener, but Bianca didn't really know what to do in a situation like this, all she knew was she couldn't leave a crying girl alone outside in the rain and dark, but she didn't want to jump to conclusions either.

The girl flinched as Bianca stepped up to her, extending the umbrella to shield her too for all the good it did at this point. Trying to stifle her sobs, she wiped a hand over her face before slowly turning to face Bianca, her blue eyes visibly reddened, even if the rain covering her face made her tears indistinguishable. "I'm f-fine..." Lie of the century right there.

"You're standing in the rain, at night, alone on lover's bridge, crying." Bianca tried to just bluntly state the facts, but she couldn't help the compassion creeping into her voice. "How does that constitute fine?"

"I... I'll be okay. I d-don't want to bother you." The girl answered, even if she still was just this side of breaking into tears again.

"But maybe _I_ want to bother me." Bianca returned "Look, if you tell me to get lost right now, I will. But you really look like you could use some comforting right now, or maybe just someone to listen to you, and I'm right here, so..."

She trailed off, almost nervously waiting for an answer, and only after several seconds the girl spoke up in a quiet voice. "I'm sorry. Please don't leave..."

"Alright. I won't." Bianca carefully leaned against the railing, making sure the umbrella was still shielding both her and – more importantly – the girl. "First things first. My name is Bianca."

"I'm Rosa."

"I see. It's nice to meet you, Rosa." Bianca smiled at her, and she could have sworn at least for a moment the corners of Rosa's mouth flickered upwards too. "Let me guess, it's one of two things: Either something about your boyfriend, or your date didn't show up, right?"

Bianca tried asking as neutrally as possible, but even so Rosa's face fell and she started sobbing again as Bianca inwardly cursed herself for her tactlessness. "We w-were supposed to meet here hours ago, b-but then it started raining and-"

"And he never showed up, and probably didn't even call, right?" Rosa weakly nodded and Bianca frowned. "What a jerk move. Just who does that guy think he is-"

"It- it wasn't a guy, though." Rosa interrupted her.

"Huh?"

"I was going to m-meet another girl." _Oh._ Bianca had come to terms with her own orientation some two years ago when her friendship with her childhood friend Hilda had turned into a – sadly one-sided – crush, and though she'd gotten over it and managed to stay just friends with the other girl, Bianca's attraction to girls remained. And even though in this day and age people were slowly becoming more progressive and tolerant, at least initially same-sex attraction or relationships were wont to cause some complications now and then, especially for younger girls or boys.

So Bianca carefully deliberated her words, lest she put her foot in her mouth right again, before answering "Well that doesn't change anything, does it? Then _she's_ a bitc- horrible person for standing you up like that. That's just- Sorry." Bianca stopped herself when she realized her getting – rightfully, though – worked up wasn't necessarily the best thing to do. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

With a small sniffle Rosa nodded, wiping her arm over her face for all the good it did. "'Kay. So, last week, I met this girl while waiting in line for the ferris wheel." Of course. Even if Bianca didn't live in Nimbasa City naturally she knew the city's possibly biggest attraction, and had taken a ride on it before with both her friends Hilda and Cheren – and at one point even all three of them, much to the bewilderment of the cashier. And even if by design the ferris wheel was meant for for romantic couples – down to the punny name –, it was visited by platonic friends just as much, as well as strangers on occasion to get to know, and battle, new people, and it wasn't terribly uncommon for dates or relationships to come to pass that way either.

Or heartbreak in Rosa's case, apparently, a suspicion the girl all but confirmed as she continued "And... I think she was a bit older than me, maybe, but she was really pretty and cool and great to talk to, and- and we ended up meeting at the ferris wheel a few times just to hang out or talk or whatever, until yesterday when I asked her out, and she said we'd meet here today, b-but she..."

"-never showed up." Bianca darkly finished as Rosa started crying again, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder in what she hoped counted as a comforting manner.

Rosa nodded, but still took a few moments to halfway compose herself before continuing. "It j-just figures. The one time I manage to ask someone out, of course..."

"So, was that your first time asking someone on a date?"

"Y-yeah."

"Oh dear. What a terrible first experience that's gotta be. This is not how that usually goes." Maybe Bianca wasn't the one to talk, the first time she had asked someone out, she'd been straight-up rejected; but at least she'd never been left waiting in the pouring rain, and after talking it out the next day, she'd even been able to stay friends with Hilda too.

"It's probably my fault." Rosa started crying again "I was coming on way too strong a-and I really should have b-been more... patient and I- I-" "Hey." Bianca carefully brought up her hand to Rosa's cheek to stop her before she completely broke down again, but to little avail.

"Come here." Following an impulse, without really thinking Bianca wrapped her arms around Rosa in a comforting hug, not caring that her front was getting wet from the girl's drenched clothes – nor that she wasn't really holding the umbrella over them anymore, so her back was getting wet too.

"There, there. It's okay." Bianca didn't really know what else to say, so she resorted to just holding Rosa tight, hoping that would be enough.

Apparently it was, as after a few seconds the girl returned the hug, all but clinging to Bianca as she slowly relaxed, her sobs dying down, before she let go and pulled back a little, still staying quite close to Bianca. "Th-thanks." Bianca just gave her a warm smile, and Rosa returned it before she noticed the state of Bianca's shirt and jacket, and her expression fell again. "Oh! S-sorry, I got you all wet and-"

"It's alright." Bianca nonchalantly shrugged, even though she already felt the cold and wetness creeping into her skin. "I was planning on taking a shower once I got back anyways." And if she hadn't before, at least now she was. "But we really shouldn't be standing in the rain any longer than we need to, should we?"

Rosa shook her head in agreement and Bianca continued "Do you live close by? I only have a few more blocks to go, so I can lend you my umbrella if you want."

"Actually I'm from Aspertia City. I... I guess can catch a bus to Castelia City, but with this weather I don't think there's any ferries right now..."

"So you don't have any place to stay?"

Rosa shook her head. "This was all planned totally differently. Sh-she said I could crash at her place for the night if I had to, b-but-" She cut herself off as her eyes started welling up again and Bianca quickly pulled Rosa into another hug, only letting go when she was certain the other girl had calmed down again.

"It's decided, then." Bianca took Rosa's hand and started moving in the direction of her hotel, pulling the surprised girl after her. "You're staying at my room for the night."

"What? There's no need." Rosa protested, catching up to walk besides Bianca, yet not separating their hands.

"There _so_ is need." Bianca countered. "I can't really let you stay out here in the rain, can I?"

"I'll be fine. I... don't want to impose on you."

"You're not imposing. Odds are the Professor is gonna spend the night somewhere else anyways, and if we have to, either she or I can sleep on the couch."

"But-"

"No buts. You're soaked to the bone, and I can tell you're totally freezing." Mostly because already now Bianca was too. "You'll be seriously lucky if you don't catch a cold. You need a warm, dry place like right now. I'll at least have a shirt and something for you until your stuff is dried tomorrow."

With a small sigh and a nod Rosa acquiesced and Bianca continued. "And besides, after what happened to you I wouldn't leave you anyways."

"Hm?"

"Being stood up on what would have been your first date... I wouldn't want to be alone in a situation like this. And I actually can somewhat relate, the first time I asked someone out went... less than stellar. So, I guess, what I'm getting at is... at least for tonight, I'm with you, okay?"

"Okay." Rosa turned to warmly smile at her, and Bianca could have sworn she also squeezed her hand just a little tighter "Thanks."

"Then let's hurry, the hotel isn't far now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loosely inspired by guess which Avril Lavigne song (and I even managed to fit a title drop in there at the end, yay). There's really not much to say here, hope you enjoy.
> 
> I initially uploaded this one on its own a few days back (when in hindsight it should have been part of this collection from the get-go), but it seems like it kinda flew under the radar, here's hoping this repost can remedy that a little. As before, any feedback is greatly appreciated, as are suggestions/prompts for more stories.
> 
> That said, thank you for reading and see you next time. Peace out


	3. Better than Fireworks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> May/Zinnia/Lisia [New Year's Fluff, Established Relationship, Post-Canon]
> 
> Not much to say, this one's pretty self-evident.

“May, what are we doing here?” Zinnia asked, and after a moment added “...Where even is 'here'?”

“This place is called Southern Island, it's where I first met Latias. And I already told you what we're doing here, silly.” May giggled “Celebrating New Year's, obviously.”

“Just the two of us? All the way out here?”

“Three of us. Lisia is gonna be here any moment. And yes, all the way out here.”

“But why?” Zinnia protested “Don't you want to go some party instead? You're the Champion and Lisia is a freaking idol, I bet you got like a dozen huge New Year's events you're invited to.”

“Lisia got almost two dozen, actually. But most of them sounded overly fancy and formal.” May shrugged. “And besides, all three of us know you're not big on crowds of people and parties in general.”

“Well, yeah.” Growing up, she'd never had much opportunity to socialize with people outside the Draconids, and even now Zinnia didn't do to well with larger groups, doubly so if she would know next to no one besides Lisia and May. But still “That didn't have to mean you should pass up on that just for me, though. I would have managed.”

“Maybe. But you wouldn't have enjoyed yourself nearly as much, would you?” Zinnia's silence was answer enough. “See? And-”

“And you're much more important to us than any posh party.” The two of them startled and spun around to find Lisia hopping off Ali with a wide grin, the Nimbus Pokémon having approached them from behind in perfect silence.

“Lisia!” As usual May all but threw herself around their girlfriend's neck while Zinnia waited a measured split-second longer before joining in the embrace. “Hey there. You're just on time.”

“Hey, girls.” Lisia gave both of them a quick peck on the lips before pulling back to pet Ali's head before returning it to its Poké Ball.

“Yeah! I was just explaining Zinnia why we're celebrating here instead of some party.”

“And I was telling May there really was no need and you should have gone to one of those parties, they'd definitely be the better entertainment.”

“But we don't want entertainment.” Lisia countered “We want you to have a great New Year's too.”

“And besides, the two of us are in the public way enough as-is. We even attended that Christmas gala instead of celebrating just with you like we wanted.”

“But that was for a good cause.” Lisia added, even if it was clear she very much would have preferred just that too.

“Which is why we went at all. But we still need time just for ourselves sometimes, right?”

“Well, I guess...- I mean, yes, of course.” Lisia corrected herself when May elbowed her in the side. “Private time. Totally.”

“Really, Zinnia, stop worrying.” May smiled at her “There's nowhere we'd rather be right now than right here, with you.”

“Right. The three of us are together, and that's all that counts.”

“Alright, I get it.” Zinnia knew a battle was lost, and there was no way she could argue against both of her girlfriends at once. “If you say so.”

“'Just the three of us! ~ The perfect New Year's Eve!'” Lisia struck a pose and Zinnia smiled.

“Heh. That's so cheesy.”

“It's true, though!” May added with a giggle, and after a moment Zinnia found she actually had to agree.

“Now what?” She asked, checking her watch “It's almost midnight. But there's not even any fireworks here.”

“We don't need any fireworks, May and I thought of something even better.”

“We should probably get them ready too. Zinnia, can you put that blanket we brought somewhere near the water so we get a good view?”

Zinnia caught the bundled-up picnic blanket May threw her. “Good view of what?”

“You'll see... Come out, Latias!”

“Ali, go!”

With a pair of cries the two dragons appeared as Zinnia spread the blanket right at the edge off the cliff. True, the view was pretty great, but all there was to see were the stars reflected in the black ocean. Yet it made her look up with a wistful gaze, transfixed by the vastness above her as old memories returned to her. Aster...

“Hey, what's wrong?” Lisia put a hand on her shoulder and Zinnia flinched, turning around.

“It's nothing.”

“'Nothing.'” Lisia echoed with a dubious expression, then just pulled Zinnia into a hug, and only a second later May joined in too.

“You know, if there's anything, anything at all, you can talk to us, right?”

“It's just some old memories. No need to dredge them up now.” And as long as she had Lisia and May, those memories weren't nearly as daunting anyways. “Isn't it midnight by now, though?”

“Almost.” May let go, turning towards Latias “Now, like we talked about, okay?” It nodded with an affirmative sound, then started talking to Ali as Lisia pulled the two of them onto the blanket, Zinnia sitting in the middle between her two girlfriends, in turn flanked by their Dragon Pokémon hovering besides them as they counted down to the new year.

“...Three ...Two ...One ...Happy New Year!” Amidst the flurry of embraces and kisses that followed, from the corner of her eye Zinnia saw Latias and Ali take flight out over the sea, and eventually the three of them disentangled, Lisia and May looking out to the sea expectantly, Zinnia following suit with a curious expression.

She could vaguely make out the silhouettes of the two dragons a little ways off the island, eventually stopping in place. Just what were Lisia and May up to?

A few moments later Ali and Latias moved in unison, rearing their heads as each gathered a glowing orange ball of energy in its mouth. “Wait,” Zinnia recognized that technique. “Is that...” The two launched their attacks upwards at an angle and the two Draco Meteors collided in the air, exploding into a breathtaking shower of burning fragments that rained into the sea, briefly illuminating the surroundings before returning to darkness. “...Wow.”

“Amazing, isn't it?” May's eyes were positively beaming, and Zinnia just nodded.

“Yeah.”

“But we're far from done, keep watching.” Zinnia turned back to the Pokémon just in time to see Latias launch another Draco Meteor which Ali hit with a huge blast of flame, breaking it into even more, smaller pieces scattered over a larger area almost like a cloud of sparks.

Over the next few minutes the two Dragon Pokémon put on a truly spectacular show, lighting up the sky with an array of attacks – Zinnia could make out Dragon Breath, Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, even Energy Ball, and then some – while the three of them just sat cuddled close together, entranced by the shining performance.

Until eventually the last sparks flickered and vanished, returning them to the darkness; but even if she were to close her eyes, Zinnia could still feel the warmth of the two people that mattered most to her.

“Spectacular, wasn't it?” Lisia broke off their three-way hug to pet Ali as it returned to the island, visibly exhausted from firing off so many moves right after another. “Thank you for your great work, Ali. Now get some rest, return.”

“You too, Latias, that was awesome!” After recalling Latias May turned to Zinnia “So, what'd you think?”

“You _have_ to agree this was much better than anything some boring old party could ever have been, right?”

Even in the low light Zinnia could make out both May and Lisia wearing huge, warm smiles, and she knew her face was very much mirroring that expression as she reached out to pull both of them into her embrace. “Definitely.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still not much to say. Lisia is a contest star and May did at least a few too, so they'd come up with this kind of performance. I might do something more (and potentially more angsty) with Zinnia at some point, I really love her character (and her theme, especially the Lament of the Falling Stars).
> 
> As usual, let me know what you think, thank you for reading and see you next time (I plan to upload something for New Year's, so keep posted). Peace out


	4. New Year's Super-short Stories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Various pairings [New Year's Fluff, Romance, Love Confession, First Kiss, and then some]
> 
> Just what the title says, a total of six stories with various pairings and themes. Consider game canon, I suppose.

'Twilit Inspiration'

"I said 'Happy New Year', Mina."

"I'm sorry, I was just so captivated by the fireworks." The blonde slowly turned away from the lightshow in the sky "...Happy New Year, Acerola."

"Hee hee. Here I thought I was easily distracted. And then I met you."

"But you're hyperactive; I'm just quick to find inspiration."

"'Inspiration'. Then how about you be inspired by this?" Acerola wrapped her arms around Mina, standing on her tiptoes and pulling the taller girl down to give her a quick kiss on the lips.

"That's an easy one." Mina's expression remained unchanged save for the slightest hint of a blush on her cheeks as she framed Acerola's smiling face with her fingers. "'My love.'"

"Are you gonna say that every time I do that?"

"It's the perfect title because there are no better words. ...I wish I could capture some of those fireworks in a painting."

"What would it be called?"

"'Lights above, lights below ~ Just the two of us in the twilight'" The description was not too far off either; from the hill on the outskirts of Mount Hokulani they were on, the two got a good view of Malie City with its numerous windows, lanterns and street lamps, as well as the fireworks lighting up the sky above the city, and even though they didn't have a flashlight or anything with them, Mina and Acerola could see just fine.

"I think I like it. Twilight is actually really fitting for the two of us, you know?"

Mina titled her head with a curious expression "Oh?"

"My Ghost types are the dusk, and your Fairy types are the dawn. That makes sense, right?"

"It does. ...Thank you for that inspiration." Mina leaned down to place a kiss on Acerola's forehead, then pulled her into a hug, which she of course returned. "I'll definitely be painting a picture of that – of the two of us."

"I can't wait to see it."

* * *

*Having a Blast'

"...Three! ...Two! ...One! ...Happy New Year!"

Roxie and Rosa clinked glasses, then the rocker threw her arms around her girlfriend, deeply kissing her and tasting some of the orange juice Rosa had opted for over champagne. "Happy New Year, babe."

"Oh my god, get a room you two."

Roxie turned around to stick her tongue out at Billy Jo. "Oh, shut up. You're just jealous 'cause you're still single. Also Happy New Year, I suppose."

After rotating around the room to wish everyone else at the party a happy new year, the two of them ended up sitting on the couch, Roxie half on Rosa's lap, and she kissed her again, one hand sliding under the back of Rosa's shirt as she embraced her, but the brown-haired girl stopped her. "Are you sure this is the time for that?"

"Don't tell me you're listening to that killjoy Billy Jo."

"You mean 'responsible grown-up', thank you very much."

Roxie was about to counter the guitarist's remark when Rosa preempted her. "Says the one who got wasted at the Christmas party and fell through a table. A table full of food." Billy Jo started to say something in protest, but then just turned around, muttering a 'well played'.

"Nice one, babe." Turned out Rosa could actually shoot back if she wanted to; maybe all hope wasn't lost after all in that regard.

"Thank you. But that wasn't it anyways. It's just that right now we should go outside to light some fireworks."

"Right." Roxie jumped up, taking Rosa's hand and all but dragging her towards the door. "Let's go to the Virbank Complex."

"Why?"

"Because the place has a huge junkyard, and with the scrap lying around there you can do some cool stuff. Have you ever thrown a jumping jack into a waste glass container? It's great!"

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Not to mention legal?"

"Oh, what's the worst that could happen?"

"Death. Painful death and mutilation could happen."

"Always the optimist, aren't we? We're just gonna be careful, then."

"And besides, aren't you drunk?"

"Not yet I'm not! I don't _need_ alcohol to be this awesome."

"Irresponsible, you mean."

"Fun, I mean. Same thing. Kinda."

"I think _I_ will be taking the lighter."

"And I'll tell you what to shoot rockets at."

"This still sounds terribly unsafe."

"Yet you're not actually refusing."

"You're a terrible influence, you know."

"Heck yeah I am! Now let's go blow some stuff up."

[Note that the author does in no way recommend or encourage the mixing of alcohol and fireworks, fireworks-assisted vandalism or attempting to shoot a rocket out of your butt. Something something safe and responsible, don't blow up yourself or others.]

* * *

'Wings'

"Man, what a year, right, Skyla? I never would've thought I'd ever make the Elite Four. Okay, technically it's only official next week, but same diff, really. I still think you'd have been a much better fit, though, you always were the better Trainer."

"But, like, who'd have expected Grimsley to wager his position at the League in a game like this? And then actually follow through with it. If he ever returns I'll give it back to him in an instant."

"Have you seen what my successor did to the Nimbasa Gym? I mean, it's nice that he kept the Electric-typing, but what is the point of basic math puzzles, what does that have to do with electricity? Also every Xtransceiver and what-have-you has a calculator in it nowadays, so it's kinda pointless anyways."

"I was thinking I should change my outfit again. I know, I know, I just had that makeover last year, but given my new position, it just seems fitting. Maybe something with a cape. I'm gonna keep the hair though, for now, I'm really loving that blue you picked."

"And I need to come up with a name and design for my battle room in the League too. How does... Sparkling Chamber sound? ...Yeah, I'll think about that some more. But the room is definitely gonna have a bunch of lights and stuff. Maybe, when the challenger enters it's almost dark, and two huge spotlights turn on and- Actually, they'd just get blinded, that's no good. Then... like the entire arena has glowing tiles under a transparent floor, kind of like a dancefloor, and-"

Skyla would always tell her once she got going she tended to talk a lot and too fast, so by this point Elesa didn't even have to hear it anymore to catch herself slipping into monologue. "Alright, alright, soliloquy, I'll stop. Just, you know..."

Elesa filled the glass she'd brought, raised it – and poured the champagne out over the grave. "Happy New Year."

* * *

 

'Perfect Start'

"Bye, you two. Thanks for coming."

"Thank _you_ for the invitation. Come on, Flint."

"Aight. See ya."

"See you." Dawn briefly waves after Flint and Volkner, the final guests to leave, as they vanish out of sight, then turns towards Cynthia with a hungry grin. "And now I finally got you all to myself."

Before the blonde woman can even answer Dawn has already pulled her close, locking their lips in a fervent kiss, her tongue playing with Cynthia's as one hand trails down her back to reach under her top – when Cynthia stops her, pulling back a little as she nods her head towards the entrance. "Aren't you going to close the door at least?"

"Oh, right." With a slightly sheepish expression Dawn reaches out with a foot to nudge the door shut, before pushing Cynthia against the wall as she places a series of tender kisses along her neck, the sensation sending a beautiful shiver down her spine.

"H-hold on." Already now her breath is going faster and it takes a conscious effort to not just give in let herself be swept away. "Dawn, are you drunk?"

"No more than you are." Her breath feels hot right next to Cynthia's ear. "So don't worry, you're not taking advantage of me or whatever." Whatever reply Cynthia might have had is cut off into when Dawn oh-so-lightly bites her just above the collarbone, making her draw in a sharp breath.

The sensation just this side of pain makes Cynthia's desire flare up and she cups Dawn's chin in her hand to passionately kiss her once more, pulling her yet closer as she runs her other hand through Dawn's beautiful black hair.

Once more Dawn's hand slides under Cynthia's top, and this time she lets it happen, her lover's fingers tracing over her back leaving hot lines in their wake as Cynthia in return reaches down to caress the inside of Dawn's thigh, slowly trailing upwards and eliciting a soft gasp.

Their lips meet yet again, and as Dawn pulls back, she scrapes her teeth along the inside of Cynthia's lower lip with just enough force that a low moan escapes the taller woman, fanning their desire even further as she renews her caress, her second hand brushing over the girl's navel as it drifts upwards, while Dawn in turn keeps placing hot kisses over her neck and shoulders, her hands haphazardly running over Cynthia's back and through her hair.

Even as she is losing herself in Dawn's touch, Cynthia recognizes that the hallway is really not the best place for this, so she steers the two of them towards the bedroom, slowly and never quite breaking their embrace. As soon as they enter, Dawn twirls around to push Cynthia on the bed, then all but pounces onto her, straddling her with a hungry expression, the same lust reflected in her eyes that is in Cynthia's. "What do you say we start out the year with a bang?"

* * *

'Twice Shy'

"Say, Mallow,"

"Hm?"

"Do you have any resolutions for the new year?"

"...Not really. Maybe other than to stay as awesome as I am."

Lana smiled "Surely you'll manage that easily, if not get even better."

"Obviously. What about you? Do you have any resolutions?"

"Well, yes..." Lana looked down, tapping her fingers against each other. "But..."

"It's something embarrassing, right? You know, whatever it is, if you don't tell someone about it, you're just gonna chicken out on it in the end."

"That's a fair point, but..." Lana looked around the room nervously, as is someone might be listening in on them, but of course everyone else was engaged in their own conversations with another.

"Got it. Come with me." Mallow got up and headed towards the door, in passing nudging Olivia's side. "Lana and I are gonna be outside for a little."

"Going for a walk? Have fun."

"We will."

"So," Mallow started once they'd left Olivia's house-slash-store and began heading in the general direction of the waterfront. "what is it?"

Lana let out a small sigh. "It won't be nearly as dramatic as you probably hope for. It's just.. You see, there's this one person I really like, and I'm not sure they even noticed, but this year I'm definitely gonna tell them."

 _What? No!_ "Really? That's great." Even as she continued smiling, Mallow felt like the butterflies that would recently flutter in her stomach when she was around Lana were suddenly frozen in a block of ice. "...Actually, hearing you say it, I have someone I really like too, and I'm gonna tell them too."

"Oh? H-how nice. We should both do so at the same time, and then tell each other how it turned out." _If only._

They continued their way in silence, Mallow too lost in thought and silently chewing on her lower lip to notice Lana looking away every few seconds, fidgeting with her fingers. Until a few minutes later she'd finally made up her mind and stopped just as they'd reached the lighthouse on the aptly named Lighthouse Point.

"Lana, listen. I... That person I was just talking about, it's you. For a while now, whenever I'm with you- I mean... I like you, as in _like_ you. I was just too nervous to admit it because I didn't know what you'd say, but you actually have someone else, so I missed my chance, but I had to say it at least, even though I want you to be happy with whomever you want to be,so you really should forget that about me and-" "Mallow." Lana finally interrupted her.

"Are you saying I was the one you wanted to confess to?"

"Yes, but now it's too late anyways, and I messed up by waiting and I-" "Mallow, slow down." For whatever reason Lana was still smiling.

"It's not too late, and you didn't mess up anything. You... I- I don't have anyone else, because... I think I feel about you the same way."

Suddenly the butterflies in her stomach were alive again and kicking up a storm. "Seriously? No joking?"

"No joking. I was insecure about this too, and I didn't want to risk our friendship, so I thought by telling you about it like this I could force myself to confess to you, but then ...this happened."

"Yeah." Following an impulse, Mallow stepped close to Lana and wrapped both arms around her in an embrace, smelling the hint of the sea her hair always seemed to carry, as after a second's surprise the smaller girl returned the embrace. "But you have to say, it really turned out better than you could have expected, right?"

"That it did."

* * *

'Opportunities'

"Are we even allowed up here?" Leaf asked with a slightly concerned face, but Lyra just shrugged.

"Who knows. But the door wasn't even locked, so I'm sure it's fine. And just look at that view."

Leaf found she had to agree, from atop the roof she could easily see not only the entirety of the Indigo Plateau and the entrance to Victory Road, but with a bit of imagination even the cave's far side and the Gate on Route 23. As well as some fireworks in the distance still lighting up the sky time and again. "It's really pretty."

"I know, right?" Lyra pulled Leaf towards the edge of the roof before sitting down, letting her feet dangle off the side, and Leaf followed suit, noticing how the lack of fences or even railings on the roof was terribly unsafe, but at least there was another ledge like two meters below them, so it wasn't as bad.

For several moments they just sat together, enjoying the view and each other's company, Leaf carefully holding Lyra's hand as if it was something delicate that might shatter at any moment – as might Leaf's – , before Lyra finally broke the silence.

Say, do you know anything about Lance? His past or whatever, I mean."

"Not really. I only ever met him twice back when he was Elite Four, when I challenged the League." And lost to Red both times. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering, about something he told me just now. It was like _In waiting for that one 'perfect' moment, we often pass up on too many opportunities_. He said it was just some good advice for the new Champion, but, I don't know, it just kinda sounded a little close to home, like something like that happened to him in the past."

"I see. I wouldn't know of anything like that, but even then, that's not something he would easily be telling others, is it?"

"Guess so. What do you think he was getting at?"

"Just what he said. Not to wait for too long, or you'll miss your chance entirely. I think."

"Hm. Do you think there even is such a thing as a 'perfect' moment?"

"I'm not sure. I don't think they're something you can just wait for, though. If anything, what you do with a moment can be what makes it perfect. Or something."

"Like when I confessed to you?"

Right before Christmas, even. Leaf smiled warmly. "...Yeah, like that."

They fell silent again, until finally Lyra spoke up. "You know, I think I get what Lance meant. Because this moment-" _Come on, don't chicken out._ "I..." _Do it, coward._

Lyra leaned forward and pressed her lips on Leaf's, and after a split second's surprise, she felt the girl's lips part, her tongue slowly, carefully, brushing against hers as Lyra returned the movement, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend. Slowly growing more confident, her tongue started playing with Leaf's before pushing forward, starting to explore her mouth and noting the unique taste, as Leaf no doubt did the same.

Their kiss lingered for several blissful moments, the two girls losing themselves in each other and forgetting all around them, until they finally parted, both breathing heavily, their faces flush and with a slightly dazed expression.

"...Wow," Leaf finally said "That was..."

She trailed of as Lyra replied with a grin "Yeah. Sorry if I surprised you, but after what you just said about a perfect moment, I just..."

"I know. I guess part of me was thinking the same thing, you just beat me to it."

"Heh." Lyra giggled. "Wanna do it again?"

"Of course."

This had definitely been the perfect moment.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With a huge thank you to my friend who let me finalize the last story and upload this at her place literally minutes before midnight/New Year's (in my time zone). I'll admit part of this was written in a rush and/or sleep deprived, if I missed any small mistakes I'll be sure to fix them when I catch them.
> 
> Also this a collection of super-short stories inside a collection of short stories. That's meta. I should find a way to add another layer.
> 
> I apologize to anyone I ninja'd with the tragic one in the middle, but I didn't want to give that one away in any shape, so as to not ruin the effect of the Trick Dialogue. (Also I have no clue where I got that idea from, but by now I've learned not to ignore any random inspirations I might get).
> 
> The Dawn/Cynthia one may be skirting the line of a T rating a little, but hopefully it's still okay. Also I think this may be one of the more risque things I posted so far (not that that's saying much), and it was probably the most tricky of these stories to write, but if there's demand I can try to do more (not only of this, but in general, I'm always open to requests/suggestions).
> 
> The title of the Mallow/Lana chapter is actually not named after that idiom, but the trope on TvTropes, which is kind of a play on that.
> 
> The May/Zinnia/Lisia chapter I uploaded two days ago was originally planned as part of this, but then it turned out so much longer than any of the others (I think that one is longer than any two of these combined) that I ended up putting it on its own.
> 
> Any feedback/criticism/input is greatly appreciated, maybe let me know which one of these you liked best, and as always thank you for reading. A Happy New Year to everyone, and see you next time. Peace Out


	5. Lonely at the Top

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dawn/Cynthia [minor Angst/Deconstruction, Retrospect (kinda), Experimental Style]
> 
> During canon/post-canon of any of the Sinnoh games.

It's lonely at the top. For the longest time you thought that was but a myth, just one of those sayings. Even as you battled the Gym Leaders, challenged the Elite Four, faced the Champion himself. You never thought...

But the old Champion fell, and a new one was born. Sinnoh's first female Champion, and at such a young age. Brilliant. Battling genius. The prodigy. The media are all over you of course. Your friends and family are proud; suddenly knowing you is something one can brag with.

And you don't know any better. Eat it all up, bask in it.

You're barely 20 years old and already achieved your dream. Champion. Strongest Trainer of the region. Pokémon Master.

...Now what?

You take the office of Champion, with all that entails. League functions, meetings and conferences, regional and beyond. Disaster aid if a situation is too big for the Gym Leaders to handle. Battling challengers that triumph over the Elite Four.

And the loneliness.

You meet dozens, hundreds of people, take photos, shake hands, smile, congratulate, laugh with them. And you work with the Elite Four and Gym Leaders of course. Chat, banter, have some practice battles, even joke around. But you don't become friends with any of them.

If anything, among the general public it's worse. It's as if that glory, the recognition of your strength, suddenly made you unapproachable. You're not a person anymore; you're a role model, an idol, someone to look up to and aspire after. All the girls want to be you, and the boys want to have you. None of them ever sees the girl from Celestic Town with a penchant for archaeology and love of vanilla ice cream. All they can see, want to see, is The Champion, that powerful Trainer, the cool and aloof woman, leagues out of their reach.

No one ever approaches you evenly.

Not even those challenging you for the title of Champion. They would have every right, should be demanding, to stand as equals to you merely for getting to this point. But they don't. Maybe half of them even look you in the eyes at all. But then, you only looked into your predecessor's eyes after the battle was over. After you were the Champion.

Turns out it is lonely at the top after all.

Of course, you could step down at any point, nominate a member of the Elite Four, a Gym Leader, maybe a particularly strong challenger for your position, who is to stop you? But you don't want to discard your dream quite so easily.

So you do as you're expected. Be the star of the region. A nice little puppet, you dance and play the part. Attend conferences, meet people, laugh, smile, battle challengers. Invariably you and your team beat them, crushing their hopes and aspirations; only years later it occurs to you that you may have been doing them a favor.

And through all of this, no one ever speaks to you as equal, sees you for anything but your position.

Except for this girl.

You came across her a few times during her travels and couldn't help but give her some advice, because you could tell she had that rare blend of skill, determination and compassion, the hallmarks of a great trainer.

It takes all three: Without determination one will never overcome the adversity of an equally-skilled opponent. All determination in the world won't help you match someone your better in skill. Without compassion one may be a powerful battler, ruthless and efficient, but fail to draw out the trust and full power of one's Pokémon.

And then for her of all people to be involved in possibly the biggest crisis the Sinnoh region saw in a long time. Atop Spear Pillar she faces Cyrus' Team Plasma and the legendary Pokémon, demonstrating her skill, determination and compassion. Yet the world is not there to see it, acknowledge her.

Then she stands before you. Looks you straight in the eyes with utter confidence as you give your usual welcoming speech. Sends out her first Pokémon. You swear to make sure the world sees her this time.

And it does. Even if she speaks very little at this point, you can tell she sees you not as The Champion, but simply a fellow Trainer. Your battle feels like one between equals, two Trainers at the peak of their prowess. You don't hold anything back, and neither does she, matches you move for move, only wavers for but a split second as you unleash your fearsome Garchomp.

Then the battle is over.

And the old Champion falls and a new one is born.

...Now what?

You should be happy. You did what was asked of you, now you're free to go, leave the League, return to normalcy.

But you don't.

The girl standing before you, now strongest Trainer of the region, is even younger than you were then. And you don't want her to share the Champion's loneliness. Your loneliness.

So you call upon some old regulations. Not yet 18, can't hold the office of the Champion full-time. She's disappointed at first, but once you explain all you're really doing is save her from a bunch of boring meetings and stuff so she can keep traveling and exploring the region, she's happy. Leaves the Pokémon League.

And you stay.

Still do what's expected of the Champion so she doesn't have to. Conferences, publicity, battle challengers. Defeat them. If any were to beat you, they'd have to face the reigning Champion to battle her for the title. You make sure none ever get that far.

But something changes.

Even though there is no need to, she keeps coming back. Makes sure to battle through all of the Elite Four even if she could just pull rank to be let pass. Battles you again. Even with your roles reversed from the first time, you face each other as equals.

And you talk. Before, after, during your battle. About nothing in particular, just talk. Learn about each other. As she gets to know you, you get to know not The Champion, but the girl from Twinleaf Town with big dreams that likes to bake. And the first person in a long time to see you for _you_.

The loneliness is much more bearable now.

Just now she stands before you again, with her unmistakable dark hair, and her shining eyes, and that beautiful smile.

"Hey, Cynthia. Man, you really should consider yourself lucky this room is air-conditioned, it's soo hot outside. I brought you some ice cream, vanilla, your favorite."

"Thanks, Dawn. It's good to see you. Then, as usual, shall we?"

"Of course. Empoleon and I aren't gonna lose this time either. ...But actually, there's something else too. See, there's this huge new show in Jubilife City that premieres this weekend, and I managed to get two great seats, so I was wondering if you'd want to go there with me."

"I'd love to."

Just perhaps, if you have someone to share it with, the top may not be so lonely after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say about this, content-wise, except that I took way too long to come up with the most obvious title (other things I had considered were 'Solitude', after an Evanescence song, but the lyrics didn't match at all, or 'The Mountaintop' for a thing in another video game with that name). This one is a bit of a stylistic experiment, I blame my reading of Inamorata by wreckofherheart for the inspiration. Obviously feedback/criticism on this one is especially appreciated, if this style was enjoyable to read or whatever.
> 
> As always thank you for reading and see you next time. Peace Out


	6. Cooking Lessons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mallow/Olivia [Fluff, Established Relationship, During Canon/Canon-Compliant]
> 
> Very obviously set during the course of Sun/Moon.

"Hey, Olivia! Wait up!"

Recognizing the voice, the dark-skinned woman paused and turned around to see the green-haired girl running towards her. “Mallow. How are you?”

“I'm great!” She greeted Olivia with a quick hug before falling in line next to her. “I was just running some deliveries, a bunch of fruits to Heahea City. What are you up to?”

“I saw an interesting little boat pull into port, so I was gonna see just who it might be.”

“Mind if I tag along?”

“Not at all. A feeling tells me we may get some new challengers for our Trials soon.”

“Cool, it's been kinda boring the last few weeks. ...Hey, what did you do to your hand?”

“Hm?”

“Your hand.” Mallow grabbed Olivia's left, pointing out the band-aids on her index and middle finger. “You hurt yourself. What happened?”

“Ah, that's nothing.” The woman waved it off “I just didn't pay attention for one second and cut myself on my tools. I showed you before, didn't I? Some of those are quite sharp. ...It's nothing major, really.” She added at Mallow's skeptical expression.

The smaller girl frowned for a moment. “You should be more careful.”

“I know, I know. Now, where'd that boat dock, I think I know who... Called it. Still haven't managed to find a shirt that goes with your lab coat, hmm, Kukui?”

* * *

“Deep down you're quite the softie, aren't you?”

Olivia joined Mallow who was waving to her from atop the stairs to the pier and gave her a brief hug. “Says who?”

“Was it really necessary for you to see the two of them off?”

“They're trial-goers, and I'm the kahuna, so of course I'd look after them.”

“Suure, that's definitely in the job description.”

“Oh, shush. What brings you here anyways?”

“I was bringing one of the chefs at the resort some special blend of herbs for this huge event tomorrow.”

“Sometimes I wonder if you're a trial captain or a delivery girl.”

“Touché.” Mallow grinned. “But now that we're both here anyways let's go to the beach for a bit, maybe take a swim.”

“I don't even have my swimwear with me.”

“Neither do I, but it's not like that's a first either, we'll just have to find some small bay that's a little further off.”

“You sound just like Lana, you know.”

“Except she's always wearing that one-piece of hers under her normal clothes anyways, that's cheating.”

“She _is_ a Water-type specialist. She probably took more involuntary baths than the both of us combined.”

“Whatevs. You coming or no?”

“I'm game.”

“Then let's go!” Mallow turned and started towards the beach, but when she reached to take Olivia's hand, the woman flinched, drawing in a sharp breath as she gingerly covered the side of her right hand with her left. “What's wrong?” Mallow stopped in her tracks with an alarmed voice and turned around.

“Sorry. It's nothing.” But the green-haired girl wasn't buying it for one second and grabbed Olivia's wrist, poking the visibly red area along the side of her hand. “Ow! What was that for?” Olivia angrily pulled back her hand as Mallow frowned.

“That's not nothing. What did you do this time?”

“...I may or may not have been briefly inattentive while working around a Magmar and burned myself on its tail. But it's no big deal.”

“Geez, you really are hopeless sometimes. What do _you_ even work with Magmar for? Whatever. The beach probably has some Pyukumuku, and if their slime helps with sunburn I'm sure it's good for regular burn too. Let's go find one.”

“Whatever you say.”

* * *

“Hello? Olivia, you there?” The voice made Olivia start – and slip with the knife she was using, cleanly cutting into the side of her left thumb and drawing blood. Muttering a quite unladylike curse, she spun around, hiding the wound, and the contents of the countertop she was standing at, behind her back as Mallow entered the room.

“I let myself in and- ...what are you doing?” Mallow peered past Olivia who in turn tried to block her view with her body, but she only needed a brief glimpse combined with the smell in the air to confirm her suspicions. “Are you cooking something?”

Seeing as she'd clearly been found out, there was no point trying to lie about it. “Well... yes. Or trying to.”

Mallow giggled. “But you always keep saying you can't cook.”

“Emphasis on 'trying'.” Olivia frowned. “All I do is make a mess and mutilate my hands.”

“Your hands... Hey, show me that!” For how energetic and perpetually bouncy she was, Mallow still could be quite astute if she had to. “You're bleeding.”

“It's nothing.”

“Don't be like that! At least put a band-aid on it.”

“Alright, alright.” With a placating gesture Olivia hurried to the bathroom, cleaning off her cut, which thankfully wasn't too big, covering it with a band-aid, and by the time she returned to the kitchen, Mallow had already taken over, expertly cutting the meat into neat pieces, much more regular than the chunks Olivia had produced so far.

“There really was no need for that.” Especially since the ease Mallow was at it with made her feel even more clumsy in comparison.

“So~orry.” Mallow singsonged turning around “I just couldn't help it. And besides,” She giggled “why didn't you ask me to teach you?”

Olivia let out a frustrated sigh. “I wanted to be able to cook for you too, and it was supposed to be a surprise.” Yeah, so much for that.

“Really?” All of a sudden Mallow stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Olivia as she stood on her tiptoes to place a brief kiss on the taller woman's lips. “That's so sweet of you!”

“You think so?” Even as she – naturally – returned the embrace Olivia frowned. “The surprise is ruined. And I don't even have anything to show for it yet except some band-aids.”

“Maybe not.” As usual Mallow's smile was unwavering. “But it's about the thought, you know? So, thank you. And besides, now more than ever I _am_ gonna teach you how to cook properly.”

Their lips met again in a much longer, more passionate kiss and apart from the faint smell of herbs Mallow seemed to always carry with her like it was part of her being – and in a way it was –, Olivia also noticed some much more acute taste of seasoning she likely had tasted right before on the girl's lips. “My, you're delicious today.” She pulled back a little with a seductive smile. “Do you _want_ to make me want to eat you?”

“I'll take you up on that.” Mallow grinned, then gestured toward the counter behind her. “After dinner.”

“As you say, love.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I'm still alive, just garbage at keeping any sort of schedule whatsoever. This one had been sitting in my file almost finished for months, I was just stuck on the ending; this ending (as in, the last 2-3 paragraphs) apparently wasn't the one I'd originally intended for when starting the story, but I quite like how it turned out.
> 
> Currently I've kind of run out of concrete ideas, but I totally want to keep writing more, so I'm very much open for requests/suggestions. Just be sure to include more than just a pairing (I literally wrote a small program that can generate me a random pairing from a list for that) and try to give me at least a few words of prompt, if not the outline of a small scene (kind of the caliber/shape of a 4chan greentext).
> 
> Any feedback/criticism/input is greatly appreciated, and as always thank you for reading and see you next time. Peace Out


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